[Vision2020] Nate, You Don't Get It!

[Ted Moffett]

John et. al.

However, the absolutists who believe in God as their ultimate source of 
ethics also have relativistic difficulties insofar as their are many 
competing versions of these "absolute" ethics.  So the true believers in 
different versions of Christianity, who read a differing sets of ethical 
rules from God's word, are within the theological structure of Christianity, 
plagued with relativistic moral quandaries.  Thus we have a Gay Bishop among 
the Episcopalians, suggesting a very different interpretation of an 
important moral rule than the one that John Harrell appears to follow.

Who is right within the Christian God's community?  Christians then appear 
to slump into a "Who says so, that's just your opinion!" sort of approach to 
solving a moral rule supposedly incontrovertibly derived from a perfect 
un-contradictory source: God.

Again, the imperfections and limitations of human thought unavoidably 
ensnare those who seek to claim absolute and perfect ethical rules.  I see 
no way around this difficulty, for any ethical belief system.

It is easy to say, "But I have the true and only set of rules derived from 
the one and only true God."
However, those with an open and skeptical mind can't help but notice this 
approach has been used for thousand of years to "prove" that certain ethical 
rules are correct, by numerous competing and contradictory ethical systems.  
Who says your ethical rules are the true ones derived from God?  Many 
religions claim that God speaks to them directly.  Thus the perfection of 
their revelations.  But if these revelations disagree, someone is deceived 
or is being a deceiver.

I am afraid NO ethical system is without logical difficulties regarding 
relativistic interpretations of significant ethical rules.

Ted

>From: John Harrell <johnbharrell@yahoo.com>
>To: Ted Moffett <ted_moffett@hotmail.com>, natewilson@moscow.com
>CC: vision2020@moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Nate, You Don't Get It!
>Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 21:10:39 -0700 (PDT)
>
>Hello Mr. Ted Moffet,
>
>I think you may be the only one that recognizes that 'moral relativists' 
>are
>easy targets. You said,
> >> "You are arguing against an easy target when you attack 'moral 
>relativists.'"
>
>I find it interesting that all the 'moral relativists' on this board 
>haven't
>realized they are easy targets. That is why we are having so much fun. 
>Otherwise,
>like Luke did before, all we have to ask them is "says who?" And they fall 
>apart.
>It is usually obvious when their response is something like - "that is 
>logic?"
>Wham! And they dont even know it. LOL!
>
>You get it, though, how refreshing. Maybe the others will someday make the 
>next
>step as yourself, but I somehow doubt it.
>
>Until then, OPEN SEASON on 'moral relativists'.
>
>Cheers!
>John Harrell
>
>
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